Wang Gungwu (b. 9 October 1930, Surabaya, Indonesia–)1 is an internationally renowned historian famed for his scholarship on the history of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia, as well as the history and civilisation of China and Southeast Asia. In his illustrious academic career, Wang has held eminent appointments in various universities and organisations around the world. He was a history professor at the University of Malaya (1963–68) and the Australian National University (1968–86), and the vice-chancellor at the University of Hong Kong (1986–95). Wang was conferred the title of Commander of the British Empire in 1988. He is currently a professor emeritus at the Australian National University, and University Professor of the National University of Singapore (NUS), the highest academic title conferred by NUS.

Early life and educationWang was born in Surabaya, Indonesia, and raised in Ipoh, Malaysia. His father, Wang Fo Wen, was an educator whose career as a teacher, principal and inspector of schools led the family to move from Surabaya to Malaya and then Singapore.2 He began his early education in 1936 at Anderson School, a government English school in Ipoh.3 When the Japanese Occupation (1942–45) disrupted his studies, he attended a class started by his father, who taught classical Chinese to children.4

Wang’s father and his mother, Dian Yan, were influential in inculcating in him a passion for scholarly research, Chinese culture and literature. Both strongly believed in the value of education, the importance of preserving cultural traditions and the need to uphold Chinese heritage.5

Tertiary educationWang resumed his studies after the war, taking the Cambridge School Certificate examinations in 1946. He then moved to China with his parents and enrolled in the National Central University in Nanjing, where he was accepted into the Department of Foreign Languages.6 However, his studies were disrupted by the outbreak of Chinese civil war, and Wang and his parents left for Malaya in 1948.7

Resuming his undergraduate studies at the University of Malaya in 1949, Wang majored in English literature, history and economics. He received his bachelor’s degree with honours in 1953 and obtained his master’s in history the following year. His graduating thesis was entitled The Nanhai Trade: A Study of the Early History of Chinese Trade in the South China Sea.8

Besides academic pursuits, Wang was heavily involved in student activities. He was the secretary and editor of the student newspaper, The Malayan Undergrad; president of the University of Malaya Students Union (UMSU; 1951); chairman of the UMSU Council (1952); and founding president of the University of Malaya Socialist Club in 1953, which started the publication, Fajar. Wang, then an aspiring poet, also published a poetry collection, Pulse, in 1950.9

In 1957, Wang obtained his doctorate in Chinese history with his thesis, The Structure of Power in North China during the Five Dynasties, from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.10

CareerWang began his career as a lecturer at the Singapore campus of the University of Malaya in 1957 before moving two years later to the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. He rose to the position of dean of the arts faculty (1962–63) and became a professor of history in 1963. He became known as an eminent scholar on the Chinese diaspora and China–Southeast Asian interactions.11 Wang then spent the next 18 years at the Australian National University, where he headed the Department of Far Eastern History (1968–75; 1980–85).12

In 1986, Wang accepted an appointment as vice chancellor of the University of Hong Kong (1986–95). Apart from administrative responsibilities and research work, he was also a member of several governmental councils, for instance, serving as an executive councillor of the Hong Kong government’s executive council (1990–92) and as chairman of the Council for the Performing Arts of Hong Kong (1989–94).13

His next appointment took him back to Singapore: He became executive chairman at the Institute of East Asian Political Economy (later renamed East Asian Institute) (1996–97).14 Wang remained as its director until his retirement in 2007, but was appointed as chairman of its management board.15 His other current appointments under NUS include: chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.16

Besides his academic-related positions, Wang was also appointed as a member of the National Library Board (NLB; 1997–2003), as well as chairman of NLB’s advisory panel for the national collection on China and the Chinese diaspora (1997–2000) and the advisory panel for Chinese library services (2000–03). He was also a member of the National Heritage Board (NHB) (1997–99), adviser of the NHB (1999–2002) and member of the National Arts Council (1996–2000).17

In 2005, Wang was bestowed the Outstanding Service Award from NUS for his dedication in establishing the East Asian Institute as a leading research centre on contemporary China.18 In recognition for his service to the community, contributions to Chinese historiography and for achieving the highest standards in research excellence, NUS appointed him University Professor in 2007, the highest academic title conferred by the university.19

Wang authored and edited many books of history and has received numerous accolades from several universities, including Chinese and Hong Kong universities. In 2009, he was conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Cambridge University, which, according to Wang, held special meaning for him as it was an indication of the emphasis that the university placed on Chinese history as an important field of study and that his work was “worth honouring and rewarding in some way”.20

Selected bibliography1959:The Nanhai Trade: The Early History of Chinese Trade in the South China Sea221959:A Short History of the Nanyang Chinese231963:The Structure of Power in North China during the Five Dynasties241977:China and the World since 1949: The Impact of Independence, Modernity and Revolution251987:《东南亚与华人： 王庚武教授论文选集》 (“Southeast Asia and the Chinese: An anthology of essays by Wang Gungwu”)261991:The Chineseness of China: Selected Essays271991:China and the Chinese Overseas281992:Community and Nation: China, Southeast Asia and Australia291995:The Chinese Way: China’s Position in International Relations301999:China and Southeast Asia: Myths, Threats and Culture312000:The Chinese Overseas: From Earthbound China to the Quest for Autonomy322000:Joining the Modern World: Inside and Outside China332001:Don’t Leave Home: Migration and the Chinese342001:Only Connect! Sino-Malay Encounters352002:Bind Us in Time: Nation and Civilisation in Asia362002:To Act is to Know: Chinese Dilemmas372003:Anglo-Chinese Encounters since 1800: War, Trade, Science and Governance382005: 《移民与兴起的中国》 (“Migrants and the Rise of China”)392007: 《离乡别土： 境外看中华》 (“China and its Cultures: From the Periphery”)402007:Divided China: Preparing for Reunification 883–94741Selected awards and honours1991: Commander of the Order of the British Empire1991: Honorary professorship, University of Hong Kong421994: International Academic Prize of the Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize431995: Honorary professorship, Fudan University, Shanghai; and Peking University, Beijing, China1996: Honorary fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies, London1998: Honorary professorship, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China2001: Honorary professorship, by Nanjing University, Jiangsu, China2004: Public Service Medal, Singapore2004: Honorary professorship, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China2005: Distinguished Service Award, NUS2006: Honorary professorship, Xi-an Jiaotong University2007: University professor, NUS2009: Honorary doctor of letters, University of Cambridge44

The information in this article is valid as at 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.